Devices for illuminating the wheels of an automobile both add to the aesthetic appeal of the automobile and increase its safety by improving its visibility. While there are numerous examples of wheel lighting devices in the prior art, none of these references show a stationary arrangement of light sources connected to a non-rotating portion of a wheel and connected to a non-rotating power source. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,301 to Martinez et al. discloses a system for illuminating a wheel on a vehicle, including a contact ring that includes a circular backing ring of an electrically insulating material and a layer of electrically conductive material over the backing ring. The contact ring is flexibly supported from the concave area of the wheel where a contact brush mounted from the stationary structure of the vehicle makes contact with the layer of electrically conductive material on the contact ring. At least one light emitting device is electrically connected to the layer of electrically conductive material on the contact ring, such that the electrical power from the power source reaches the light emitting device through the contact brush and the contact ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,630 to Williams, Jr., discloses an apparatus for lighting a wheel rotatably mounted on a frame of a vehicle and including a source of current mounted on the frame of the vehicle, a commutator mounted to the wheel for rotation therewith, at least one light bulb connected to the commutator and secured for rotation therewith, and a brush electrically connected to the source of the current and mounted to the frame adjacent the commutator. The brush has a contact portion for contacting the commutator to provide a flow of current through the battery to the commutator so as to power the light bulb.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,348 to Bailey, Jr. discloses an electrically generating power source housed in a wheel cover of a rotating wheel for providing power to light emitting diodes contained in a plastic tube mounted around the rim of the wheel for rotation therewith. The electrical generating source is a stepper motor with an eccentric weight mounted on its shaft.
One problem with the prior wheel illumination devices is that they all contain one or more moving parts that are prone to wearing out. For example, the movement of contact brushes against a moving surface is prone to mechanical wear damage, necessitating frequent replacement of the brushes. Another problem with the known wheel illumination devices is that they are not easily added or installed to existing automobile wheel structures. Installation of the known wheel illumination devices requires extensive modification of the existing components of the wheel mounting assembly, and frequently further requires the drilling or replacing of wheel assembly components in order to mount the complex lighting and power systems.
There is therefore a need for a stationary or non-rotating automotive wheel lighting device that is quickly and easily installed in an automobile without the requirement of extensive equipment modifications. The present invention addresses such a need.